This invention relates to cleaning the inside tank portion of a tanker truck and the inside portion of any hoses connected to the tank.
Tanker trucks are often used to carry food grade liquids such as corn syrup. Suppliers and end users have certain specifications such as solids content, impurity content, etc. for these products. In addition, a tanker truck will not always carry the same food grade liquid. Accordingly, the inside tanks are periodically cleaned.
Tank trucks are generally cleaned by introducing a hot wash solution into the tank and then allowing the tank to cool and dry. The wash solution is usually pumped out through hoses connected to the tank. The tank is cooled and dried by exposure to the atmosphere, usually through a manway.
These tank washing procedures produce many problems. For example, it is difficult to know whether the tank was exposed to a wash solution of sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to ensure sterilization. Even if the tank is sufficiently sterile, the presence of steam in the tank prevent its inspection while hot.
Cooling of the tank causes further problems. To prevent the formation of a vacuum, the tank is cooled and dried by exposure to the atmosphere. This is often done by leaving the tank manway open. However, ambient cooling allows contaminants into the tank. In addition, ambient cooling wastes time better spent on transporting pay loads.
One solution to the cooling problem is to load the trucks immediately after cleaning. However, this causes the introduction of unwanted water into the payload. Further, if the truck has to travel any distance to the loading point, the steam in the tank and hoses often condenses. This presents further problems in cold weather where the condensate freezes.
There is therefore a long felt need for a device which will clean, sterilize and dry the inside tank portion of a tanker truck. The device would preferably automatically wash and dry the tank without the waste of time and materials. More preferably, the device would easily be inserted inside the tank and after washing, sterilizing and drying easily be removed. The tanker would then be ready for transporting bulk food or pharmaceutical grade liquid loads.
There is further a need for quickly washing, sterilizing and drying not only the inside portion of the tank but also any hoses connected to the tank. A device capable of washing both the inside portion of a tank and the inside portion of hoses attached to the tank would be widely accepted in the industry and meet with commercial success.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for washing and drying the inside tank of a tanker truck. It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for washing and drying the inside portion of a tanker trunk and the inside portion of hoses connected to the tank. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a device which after washing and sterilizing, dries the inside of tanks and hoses connected thereto much more efficiently and effectively than ambient drying. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a tank washing and drying device which allows the tank to be sealed from contamination after drying without the risk of creating a vacuum in the tank.
These and other objectives which will become apparent in view of the specification are satisfied by the present invention. It is to be understood however that the present invention is not limited to its objectives, the spirit and scope of the invention being delineated in the appended claims.